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The Silas Moody Papers consist
of three volumes: one a personal account book and the other two reflecting his work
as town treasurer and tax collector.

Collection Number:

MSS 303

Series List

Scope and Content Note

The Silas Moody Papers consist of three volumes: one a
personal account book and the other two reflecting his work as town treasurer and
tax collector.

The account book, 1809-1830, lists accounts he kept as a businessman as well as
accounts to the town of Newbury for his work in an official capacity, such as
providing a meeting place for committees to meet and horse and toll charges if he
traveled to another town on town business. The business accounts include numerous
sales of rum, brandy, sugar, and molasses as well as other foodstuffs and general
store items. Many accounts list the inspection and storage of kegs of butter; he
also issued certificated to ships. It is probable that he held a town position as
some kind of surveyor or inspector. There are also a few estates given over to him
for administration.

The town treasurer's book, 1819-1830, includes expenses dispensed by him as town
treasurer from May 1819 to March 1826 and by Charles H. Kimball as town treasurer
from July 1826 to March 1830. Most of these consist of payments authorized by the
selectmen or overseers. Revenues are also listed, consisting primarily of cash
collected from taxes, highway surveyors, weighing of hay at the hay scales, etc.

The tax collector's book, 1831-1834, lists households in Newbury and gives the
number of polls, the poll tax, real estate tax, personal estate tax, and highway tax
of each household. In addition, there are entries for non-residents from numerous
other Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine towns that list only real estate tax
and highway tax as well as entries for the Second Parish of Newbury and Byfield
Parish. The tax collector's book contains entries primarily from 1831 and 1832, but
there are some from 1833 and 1834 as well.

Biographical Sketch

Silas Moody was born in Newbury, Massachusetts, in
December of 1775, the son of Samuel and Jane Moody. Little is known about him but he
held positions in the town of Newbury as town treasurer and tax collector. He
apparently studied law and became an attorney as well. He served as one of the
deputies to the Massachusetts General Court from Newbury in 1829, 1831, 1833, 1836
and 1841. On September 5, 1841 he married Mary Huse of Newburyport. They had no
children. Silas Moody died in Newbury on January 20, 1844 at the age of 68.

Index Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in Philcat. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons,
or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Kimball, Charles H.

Byfield Parish (Newbury,
Mass.)

Second Church in Newbury (Newbury,
Mass.)

Account books--1809-1834

Account
books--Massachusetts--Newbury

Finance,
Public--Massachusetts--Newbury

Poll tax

Real property tax

Taxation of personal property

Taxation--Massachusetts--Newbury

Newbury (Mass.)--Appropriations and
expenditures

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research use.

Administrative Information

Copyright

Requests for permission to publish material from the collection must be submitted in
writing to the Manuscript Librarian in the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex
Museum.